Chapter 2: Guardian Angel
by lukeswansonxtimvictorine
Summary: Luke gets invited to Haley Warner's house on a Saturday night where he encounters a very intoxicated Tim Victorine. Luke takes it upon himself to care after his new friend.


Chapter 2: Guardian Angel

Luke Swanson was taking this Saturday to sleep in, until a text from Haley Warner woke him at 2:30 PM. Groggy and cranky, he picked up his phone and opened the new message. "I'm having a party at my place tonight, you can bring some people if you want". Luke snapped out of his slumber and sat straight up in his bed. "Tim" he whispered. He began to get ready for the day by slipping on some jeans and his Budweiser T-shirt. Luke started pacing in the kitchen nervously while plotting a way to invite Tim. "Is it _too_ soon? Am I being _too_ forward?" he questioned. He put his palms to his eyes as he rubbed and shook his face in puzzlement. Luke then grabbed his cell and dialed Joey's number. "Yooooo," Joey answered. "Joey, Haley I guess is having a party tonight…can you go?" "Sure," Joey said. "Alright cool….so listen, remember Tim from the other night? Do you think he'd want to come?" Luke asked apprehensively. "He's already going I think." This response was music to Luke's ears. "AWESOME…I mean….cool I guess" Luke replied and hung up quickly.

It was now 11 PM and Luke decided now would be a good time to make his way to Haley's. He slammed the door to his truck, put the key in the ignition, and reversed out of the driveway. Once he arrived he flicked on the light in his car and folded down the mirror. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep breath in anticipation.

Luke got out of his truck and made the trek through the high grass outside Haley's house, fixing his hair incessantly. Finally arriving at the door, he paces back and forth a few times, takes a final deep breath, and steps in. Instantly, the smells and sounds of the party flooded his senses; a humid scent of assorted liquors, cannabis, and cigarettes flowed out the open door and mingled with the smell of Florida pines. Luke instantly met eyes with his friends standing around a table in the kitchen. Upon approaching them, Mitch and Joey topped up their glasses with Jim Beam and extended a glass to Luke. They all swigged their liquor down and started forming a plan to pick up cigarettes. Luke listened passively, but their voices all dimmed into his periphery as he caught a glimpse of Tim walking in the front door. Time moved a tad slower as Tim made pleasantries with the people standing around the door.

Luke was snapped out of his gaze as Tim approached and leaned heavily on the table- a glazed look in his eyes. Joey and Mitch greeted Tim with a handshake and a glass of whisky. The four made conversation over their drinks until the dialogue shifted back to acquiring cigarettes. Tim volunteered to drive, and after a few seconds of silence Joey and Mitch started chuckling having noticed his slightly slurred speech and shifts in balance. Tim cracked a smile- he was drunk. It was decided that Luke would drive Tim to the nearest gas station to complete the errand (as Tim was the only one who was eighteen), while Mitch and Joey stayed behind.

Luke led Tim out to his car and they both stepped in. Luke asked if Tim wanted his seat adjusted so he could sit back and relax. Tim looked at him with a spacey look and said "Do I look like a need a fucking babysitter?" Luke immediately felt a drop in his stomach and warm blood pumping through his body, _"Does he think I'm annoying?"_ rushed through Luke's head. But after a few seconds of tense staring, Tim smiled and said "nah I'm just kidding, sure man." Luke laughed as he exhaled heavily and felt a drip of cold sweat run down his forehead. Luke leaned over and adjusted his seat to a reclined position.

As the two drove down the dirt path out of Haley's, Tim fumbled around looking for an auxiliary cable to play music. Luke instinctively pulled the cable from beside his seat and handed it to Tim. Loud drill music poured out the speakers in the truck and they both nodded their heads to the beat as Tim gazed out the window.

Eventually they dimmed the music and started talking. Luke tentatively asked questions about how Tim came to know Joey, Mitch and the rest of the gang. Tim struggled to articulate how he had known Mitch through elementary school, Joey through mutual friends, and the rest of the gang from various places. Having reached the gas station, they returned to Haley's.

Tim downed a few drinks while slowly but unsteadily making his way back to the kitchen. Luke followed Tim, making sure he didn't fall over as he swayed in the kitchen entryway. Luke made himself another drink and Tim asked for another, Luke diffidently handed Tim his glass and forgot to make himself another drink. They joined by sitting around Haley's kitchen booth with a group of friends and acquaintances. The two squeezed in the end of the booth and sat down. Luke felt Tim's arm against his and nervously shifted away at first, but slowly made his way back to his original position. Tim started swaying more violently now and his head bobbed around rhythmically. Luke noticed and asked Tim if he wanted to maybe go lay down on the couch as he looked pretty out-of-it. Tim silently agreed and the two walked into the living room, but as Luke went to sit down, Tim stumbled into the bathroom and slammed the door. Sounds of heaving and vomit hitting water emanated from behind the door almost immediately. Luke shot up and rushed over to the door, and knocked. "Hey, man do you need help in there?" Gutteral sounds in response signaled Luke to enter, he pushed into the small bathroom and was met by Tim on the ground with his face to the toilet bowl. Luke placed his hand on Tim's back and patted him maternally. Tim eventually finished vomiting and stood up, washed out his mouth with water, and followed Luke out.

The two walked back out into the living room and Tim collapsed onto the couch with his legs hanging over the armrest. Luke sat beside his new friends' head and waited in silence for a while. Eventually Tim dazedly dragged a pillow under his head and inadvertently propped it up on Luke's lap. Luke sat and looked at Tim for a while until he was sure he was asleep; He noticed Tim's haircut and thought to himself how good of a haircut it was. But it wasn't only the cut, his the hair had a waviness to it but it wasn't quite curly, and it was smooth looking without appearing greasy. Luke looked around the empty room and slowly moved his left hand a few inches to Tim's hair and let it fall over his fingertips- It was flawless; this moment was flawless.

All of a sudden the front door flew open and a few people including Mitch and Joey poured into the foyer, it was getting late so some of the parties' attendants had left. Luke retracted his hand back quickly and scooted out from under the pillow. Everyone turned and looked into the living room. After a few seconds they all started laughing- Luke felt a cold shiver run down his spine and hastily asked "What?" "What's so funny?" He was then informed that Tim always falls asleep at parties. Luke laughed nervously and sighed with relief.

Now that Tim was asleep, Luke seemed to not enjoy the party as much, so he said his goodbyes to his friends, walked out to his truck, got in, looked at his reclined passenger seat for a few seconds, and drove off.


End file.
